little by little
In small steps
Little by little means gradually, in small increments over time.
Progress happens not all at once but through accumulation: Little by little, she regained her strength.
The repetition emphasizes the slow, steady nature of the process—each small step barely noticeable, but together amounting to real change.
- graduallyIn slow stages
- progressivelyIn increasing stages
- incrementallyBy small successive amounts
- inch by inchIn tiny successive stages
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
slowly · slow and steady · piecemeal · day by day · drop by drop · over time · by degrees · imperceptibly · piece by piece · brick by brick · steadily · trickle · building up · methodically · subtly · accumulating · painstakingly · fractionally
- phrasesnoun phrases, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, prepositional phrases
- gradual phrasesone by one, piece by piece, inch by inch, one at a time, day by day
- progressprogress, in progress, promotion, raise, making progress
- moderationmoderation, in moderation, restraint, self-control, moderately
little by littleall at once
Occurring without gradual buildup
suddenly · instantaneously · immediately · overnight · abruptly
little by littleall at once
Occurring without gradual buildup
wholesale · en masse · in bulk · in its entirety · lock stock and barrel
little, belittle, littlest, bit by bit, littler, belittling, belittlement, littleness, belittled